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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Pro-life organizers ‘link together’ for life, instead of marches, due to COVID-19 concerns

By Baptist Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) -- Despite COVID-19 restrictions, pro-life supporters still found a way to band together at 32 locations statewide Jan. 23 to declare their love for life. Originally, the annual life marches were scheduled to take place around the state over a three-week period in January and February, but novel coronavirus pandemic concerns caused organizers to alter the format to a one-day, social-distanced life chain event for “Stand for Life, Louisiana.” Only the Baton Rouge event included a program that featured messages, music and prayer. Ben Clapper, executive director for Louisiana Right to Life, told the Baptist Message that while they did not have an official attendance count, he estimated more than 1,000 people turned out for the life chains. "Even in the face of the Covid pandemic, pro-lifers in Louisiana cannot sit idly by why abortion continues to take the lives of Louisiana babies,” Clapper said. “It is inspiring that more than 31 groups gathered to stand for life in their communities.  While we couldn't march this year as we normally do, we know that our march continues daily to save every baby and help every mother." Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church in Pollock who … [Read more...]

Alabama Pastor Ed Litton to be nominated for SBC president

By Staff SARALAND, Ala. – Ed Litton, pastor of Redemption Church in Saraland, Alabama, will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, according to a report published in Baptist Press. Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, announced to Baptist Press on Jan. 19 that he would nominate Litton. The 2021 SBC Annual Meeting will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, June 15-16. STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT Luter told Baptist Press he has had a friendship with the candidate since 2001. “I have known Ed Litton for over 20 years. Our relationship started when we preached for each other as part of the SBC Racial Reconciliation Sunday during the month of February,” Luter said. “From there our relationship developed to more than just colleagues to bring races together. We both shared the hope of drawing people closer to a relationship with Jesus Christ and then growing disciples for Christ. In both of our churches our focus has been the same all of these years. “That’s why I am honored to nominate Ed Litton as the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention. With Ed’s commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, he is what our Convention needs to help us … [Read more...]

State executive director Randy Adams to be nominated for SBC president

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor VANCOUVER, Wash. (LBM) – Randy Adams, executive director of the Northwest Baptist Convention, a regional network of 500 congregations across Oregon, Washington and northern Idaho, will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, according to press releases from multiple sources. Russell Fuller, former Old Testament professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary who has decried the growth of liberalism (specifically, Critical Race Theory) at SBC seminaries, announced via email to the Baptist Message that he would nominate Adams. The 2021 SBC Annual Meeting will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, June 15-16. STATEMENT OF SUPPORT Fuller said he was pleased that Adams “is allowing me to nominate him in Nashville for president of the Southern Baptist Convention," and he emphasized that the SBC is at a point in time when “courageous leadership” was needed to repair the damage done to the work of Southern Baptists. “The SBC has historically been an evangelistic cooperative mission force in North America and around the world, but over the last 10 years experienced both major declines and internal challenges that threaten our future if we do not change,” Fuller … [Read more...]